Lone Downtown Loft in Houston Place Offers a True Bargain

CandysDirt.com makes it a mission to find the unusual or one-of-a-kind living spaces, and downtown Fort Worth loft-style living is rather thin on the ground (or should I say in the skyline?). There are a handful of vintage building conversions. There are the Kress lofts on Main. We have already written about The Neil P. on 7th. There are the lofts in the landmark Texas & Pacific building which still serves as an active train depot. Guess what? Nothing available for sale in any of them.

That makes Unit 303 in Houston Place Lofts not just rare, but at this date, one of a kind. The former office building, built in 1906, and converted in 2005 into 30 loft condos, has plenty of curb appeal. Add into the package that 303 is a corner unit with both urban views and green-space views of Hyde Park.

And downtown living in Fort Worth can honestly be described as vibrant. With abundant free parking after hours, people routinely come into town to catch a movie, attend a concert or dine in the myriad and busy restaurants — even on week days.

The lobby is large, decked out in contemporary furnishings while preserving its period bones and terazzo floors.

Enter and experience pure loft living. Exposed plumbing and ducting are warmed by bamboo flooring. Original brick has been exposed on the exterior wall and contributes to the loft look.

The plan of the 1,000-plus-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bath condominium is open with floating walls marking divisions but not meeting ceilings.

That holds true for the bedrooms as well. This third floor unit almost implies a lifestyle and buyer — a single person or couple who could use the second bedroom for office space/guest bedroom.

Personally, I feel that bath and kitchen could use updates to achieve a more modern look. In the bath that would entail a changes to paint and surfaces.

The kitchen is kitted out with stainless appliances. A bold paint color could give the cabinets a more modern feel. This loft is so reasonably priced and such good value, that it would easily justify a small renovation budget to personalize the living space.

And all of this is in the heart of town with restaurants and Bass Performance Hall a short, agreeable walk away. The unit comes with two parking spaces in an attached garage and a basement storage space. The modest HOA of $419 covers building maintenance as well as water and garbage collection.

Listing agent Ellen Batchelor has repriced Unit 303 in Houston Place at bargain $240,000.

Eric Prokesh is an interior designer whose work has appeared on HGTV, and in books and publications including D Home, Southern Accents, House Beautiful, and House and Garden. In January 2005, HG named Eric one of the 50 tastemakers in America and D Home has included him as one of Dallas’ Best Designers for 10 years. Having lived most of his life in Dallas, he now calls Fort Worth home and is one of our experts on beautiful Fort Worth Dirt.